May Peace and Mercy Outweigh Evil

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

By now we have all seen the heartbreaking news of the horrible attack yesterday in Las Vegas. As I watched the news I couldn't stop the tears. My own kids have gone to many outdoor events, and the thought that a crazy evil person could do this to them. Well, let's just say that sometimes my faith falters...

At one point I asked myself if praying at a moment like this even makes a difference.  Would it do any good to ask God to comfort those who have lost a loved one? Why so much evil? Does the Lord even care?

Faltering faith is not the same as having no faith.  It just means that sometimes we are shaken, but then we press on, connect with God, cast our anxiety on Him, give Him all our worries, and throw the whole weight of our concerns upon Him.

When we do that our load lightens. 

The truth is that my faith is always strengthened after I pray.  I may have to connect with the Lord several times in a day to keep the faith, but that's okay: He puts no limits on me or you.

As we pray today let us believe we are making a difference.  Let us accept as fact that God hears and responds.  Let us push past the fear and doubt and trust that God cares for us and answers our calls for help and protection.  Let us invite the Lord to pour out His peace on our weary nation. Yesterday our President invoked this Bible verse: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalms 147:3).  Let us accept this as the gospel truth!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your unconditional love for us.  We are heartbroken for yesterday's victims.  So much destruction and heartache - but we believe that You have the power to help and to heal. Pour out Your goodness into Las Vegas and into the United States of America.  We ask for Your divine protection from all the dangers in this world. May Your peace and mercy outweigh the evil in this country. Cover the wounded and hurting in Your love.  Cover us in Your love too. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Settle Us Down~

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

By now we have all seen the heartbreaking news of the horrible attack yesterday in Manchester, England. When things like this happen, it's easy for our faith to falter. The wisest thing we can do is focus on our Lord.   

When we focus on Him we are quickly reminded of a very important truth: GOD CARES FOR US.  He actively watches over us and is concerned with everything that concerns us.

And please note that there is no "but" to the verse above. He cares for us, but only when our faith is perfect.  He cares for us, but only when our attitude remains good.  He cares for us, but only when we pray a certain amount of times.

God cares for us, PERIOD.

God's unfailing love for us is the very reason we should build our faith.  I want to get to know Him better.  I want a deeper, more soul-satisfying understanding of His love and power.  Let me change that. I NEED a deeper, more soul-satisfying understanding of His love and power. 

As we connect more and more with Him the Bible promises in Philippians 4:7 that “Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your unconditional love for us.  As we share our concerns with You today – (insert your concerns here) – we look forward to You settling us down.  We joyfully await all the wonderful things that happen when Jesus becomes our focus instead of worrying all the time. We also ask for Your divine protection from all the dangers in this world. We desperately need a sense of Your wholeness because when that happens, nothing is missing from our lives. In Jesus' name, AMEN~ 

No Buts!

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

Yesterday we all saw the heartbreaking news of the tragic shooting in San Bernardino.  When things like this happen, its easy for our faith to falter. I don't know why so much pain is allowed in our lives, but in the absence of answers, I try to put my focus on Him.  

When I focus on Him I am reminded of a very important truth: GOD CARES FOR ME.  He actively watches over me and is concerned with everything that concerns me.

And please note that there is no "but" to the verse above. He cares for you, but only when your faith is perfect.  He cares for you, but only when your attitude remains good.  He cares for you, but only when you pray a certain amount of times.

God cares for us no matter what, and that right there is reason enough to do a happy dance!

Let’s not use this unfailing love that God has for us as an excuse to not build our faith, to have bad attitudes, and never pray.  But rather, let’s allow His love for us and the power that He has at His disposal to ignite a passion for Him as we approach 2016. 

Let’s do what it says in Philippians 4:7, “…Let God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your unconditional love for us.  As we share our concerns with You today – (insert your concerns here) – we look forward to settling down.  We joyfully await all the wonderful things that happen when Jesus becomes our focus instead of worrying all the time. We also ask for Your divine protection from all the madness that is all around.  We desperately need a sense of Your wholeness because when that happens, nothing is missing from our lives. In Jesus' name, AMEN~ 

Pray it Off~

Tuesday greetings,

A few months ago my husband played a mean joke on my daughter-in-law, Lis.  She was weighing herself on the scale, and Jorge moved in stealthily behind her and also stepped on the scale.  It increased her weight by 20 lbs, and sheer panic set in for a few horrifying moments.  We all got a good laugh out of it, but man o man, I would have killed him.  Truth is I have never met a single person who would welcome extra weight.

Some of us carry it physically, but way too many of us carry it in our hearts.

Proverbs 12:25 “Worry weighs down the heart…”

Anxiety, heaviness, grief, sorrow, call it what you will, but all the aforementioned are part of life, and they weigh us down, bring us low, depress us, and trouble our hearts.

What can we do? The second part of Proverbs 12:25 says, “…but a kind word cheers a person up.”

Other versions of the Bible say “a good word”, an “encouraging word”, or an “appropriate word” brings joy.

The anecdote for heaviness of heart is found in the quality of the words we receive, and it’s instant.  Most importantly, we should be reading the Holy Bible every day because it is the kindest, most encouraging Word on the face of the earth.  I know that when I have those times that I feel the pressures of life, reading scripture provides a powerful lift.  Praying with a buddy also infuses my soul with hope.   And of course, over the course of my life, there have been so many life-giving words shared with me that I treasure to this day.

There is no need to carry around that extra weight today; let's pray it off right now!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for knowing that worry weighs us down.  You never ignore us or pretend our feelings aren’t real.  But we also thank You for providing a way to lift our spirits. Remind us to fill ourselves with Your Word everyday so we can soar above the problems of life.  Also, remind us that the words we speak can affect the quality of someone else’s life.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN. 

No "Buts"

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

Sometimes I forget a very important truth in my life: GOD CARES FOR ME.  When problems arise, when troubles head my way, when the family is in a tizzy…I have to stop and purposely remind myself that God actively watches over me and is concerned with everything that concerns me.

I wish I knew why so much pain is allowed in our lives, but in the absence of answers, I try to put my focus on Him.  Yesterday I saw a friend whom I hadn’t seen in years, and I shared the story of the young woman who found her self thanking God that He delayed answering her prayers for a biological child until after she adopted her little boy.  By her own admission, her faith faulted more than once. 

And that’s when we were both comforted by the realization that there is no “but” to this verse.  He cares for you, but only when your faith is perfect.  He cares for you, but only when your attitude remains good.  He cares for you, but only when you pray a certain amount of times.

God cares for us no matter what, and that right there is reason enough to do a happy dance!

Let’s not use this unfailing love that God has for us as an excuse to not build our faith, to have bad attitudes, and never pray.  But rather, let’s allow His love for us and the power that He has at His disposal to ignite a passion for Him in 2015.  Let’s do what it says in Philippians 4:7, “…Let God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your unconditional love for us.  As we share our concerns with You today – (insert your concerns here) – we look forward to settling down.  We joyfully await all the wonderful things that happen when Jesus becomes our focus instead of worry. In His name, AMEN~ 

Let Him Have It~

Casting part two!

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

I am known for tossing things as opposed to gently handing things over.  I have tossed everything from a fork that Jorge asked for while he sat comfortably on the couch to my own nephew during a spirited game of “hot potato”. 

The problem with tossing stuff is that it can miss the intended target.  No, my nephew was not dropped during the game.  But how many times have we thrown a wadded up ball at the garbage can and missed?  However, when we put something directly on or in the target, it has a better probability of staying put.    

Likewise, Jesus asks us to cast our anxiety ON Him so as to assure He has a firm grip on it.  Let’s be honest: Some of us are about to crumble under the pressure and strain of our problems.  Some days, maybe most days, we wonder how we can take even one more step.  The answer is to cast our anxiety on Jesus.  Let Him have it.  Let Him carry it.  Let your problems become His concern.  He can handle anything. 

These are the lyrics to the song we sang at my high school graduation:

There is no problem too big
God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall
God cannot move it

There is no storm too dark
God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep
He cannot soothe it

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know He will carry you

Before Christ can carry, we must cast – we must release.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We gladly let go of the anxiety we feel and toss it onto You.  We want You to carry it, to figure it out, to resolve the mess, pain, and hurt.  Move the mountains, calm the storms, and soothe our sorrows now. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Don't Reel It In~

Thursday greetings ~

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

This verse validates the human condition: We are prone to anxiety.  We tend to worry, fret, nail-bite, and play host to nervousness, dread, and even panic.

There of plenty of good reasons we feel this way too.  Anyone who has watched the news this week knows what I am talking about.  Coupled with all the personal struggles we face, it’s a minor miracle if we can get a full night’s sleep.  And Jesus, our precious Savior whose birthday we will be celebrating soon, rather than getting angry at us for not having our so-called “act” together, for having less-than-perfect trust that He has us covered, invites us to cast every last bit of our anxiety on Him.  Not at Him, but on Him. 

Let’s break it down!

First we cast.

Cast is a verb, and my husband the avid fisherman knows it well.  To catch a fish, one must put bait on a hook, attach it to a line on a fishing rod, and then throw it out into the water.  Jorge looks good when he casts because he has had practice.  I once casted by throwing out the line as if it were a baseball and hooked Jorge in the shorts.  He was standing behind me, and this was totally his fault.

The key, however, is to not reel in prematurely.  If you want to catch a fish you must leave that line out there.  When we pray, we are casting.  We are giving our worries and troubles to God, and that’s OK because He invites us to let Him have them.  However, after we pray, if we feel that worry creeping back in, then we know we have started to reel in that line and must cast again.  There is no limit to the amount of times we cast, and God knows it.  The way this verse is written indicates that “casting” is an ongoing act.  We don’t just cast once, and then we are done.  Fishermen don’t fish once either.  They continue to fish for the promise of sustenance.  We continue to cast because the sustenance of our souls depends on it. 

Let’s do it!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We cast every last bit of our anxiety on You.  WE DO NOT WANT IT! Sometimes it’s hard to function because we are consumed with worry.  Please take it from us.  You are the Prince of Peace and we want peace in every single area of our life.  Thank You that if we have to, we can cast again later. In Your name, AMEN~